


The  Tiger  and  the  Phoenix

by ckit3



Series: In  Fire  Reborn [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Assault, Attempted Murder, Betrayal, Complicated Relationships, Dark Past, Death, Deception, Difficult Decisions, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Facing The Truth, Family, Grief/Mourning, Healing, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Lies, M/M, Mafia AU, Past Relationship(s), Recovery, Redemption, Romance, Russian Mafia, Secrets, Violence, life decisions, mafia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-22 04:04:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13755921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ckit3/pseuds/ckit3
Summary: Yuri Plisetsky is set to be named as head of the Russian Mob family to fill the space left after Viktor's untimely  and tragic ending.    His experiences have made him cold, distant and secluded but he is eager to show Yakoiv that he is far more suited to the task than Viktor ever was.   He is turning 21 and with Yakov about to formally name him his successorGeorgi Popovich has long wandered in the shadow of Viktor and now the much younger Yuri,  with his head firmly in the clouds he is still waiting for a chance to prove himself worthy of being chosen as one of Yakov's inner circle.Otabek Altin is an assassin for hire sent on a mission to bring down the young successor  and arrives to find a way to get close enough to discover how it might be accomplished.   He has his own reasons for wanting to end the Russian Tiger's istence.Kimri  works for the family that Celestino belonged to before his death at Yuri's hands.  They do not mourn his passing but they are wary of this new possibility.   She is sent to observe and either protect the young master or see that Otabek succeeds and then end his life.A tale of games,deceptions,lies,secrets and finding love at a most inopportune time.





	1. Players in the  Game

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to try bringing this back, maybe completed it--I had it all planned out in any case. I thought continuing with Yuri's story might be interesting but it got so little interest the first time I started posting.
> 
> I'm not sure about my writing lately, but rediscovered this and I still want to finish it even if there isn't much interest. I wanted to explore how the events of the last story affected Yuri and many others, if you stick with it I hope you won't be disappointed.

This was the moment he'd been waiting for, the one he'd worked so hard to make happen. 

He was proud of all he'd accomplished, the youngest to achieve such a position among all the mafia families of Russia. 

Yuri had been determined to prove himself to Yakov, showing how much more suited he was than Viktor ever could have been. The geezer had failed and now what was left of him lay in foreign soil. Yuri had grown taller, stronger and gained a well earned reputation for being ruthless and determined in his rise to power. He would stand proudly at Yakov's side and lead their family so they would never lose their position at the top. No one would dare go against them. 

No one dared go against him.

He,alone, had done what Viktor had failed to do. This was only the beginning. The first steps on the path he chose four years ago. 

One day he would go and bring Viktor back home. Home to Russia and his true family. 

He didn't dare tell Yakov what he intended, this was one of only a few secrets he kept from the man he came to admire. 

Yakov was far too kind. Kindness,compassion and such things could be used against him so Yuri tossed them aside. He'd seen what could happen when you allow your emotions to overrule your mind. He blamed Viktor's failure on that Japanese pig, the man who whored himself out for Celestino. Yuri would die rather than become like that. He was in control of his life and the lives of others. Power and honor would come to their family and their country. Yuri would make certain of that. 

He'd taken great pleasure in bringing well deserved punishment to Celestino. That had been his first real step along this new path. His new life. 

In Celestino's absence new leaders rose to power in that American mafia family, forging a new alliance that had already proven beneficial to both. Somewhere among the crowd of guest was the representative they sent. Yuri remembered being told this person avoided such public demonstrations and would only meet Yakov in private. If Yuri met this person in the grand hall he would likely not know. 

Yuri certainly wasn't the only one that held secrets. 

One by one they passed as he stood with Yakov, those who had been required to be here in respect of Yakov and honor his decision. Some faced private meetings to exchange oaths of continued loyalty and gifts. Those were closed to him but here in the grand hall of their mansion they would come to him. This was indeed all he had hoped for. The culmination of all his effort and training. Yakov would not be disappointed , nor would all the others who either belonged or allied themselves to this family. They would remain as strong and defiant as their future leader. What he'd worked so hard for he would never allow to be taken away. 

Watching their guests he could tell they were impressed by the show of finery, the talented quartet hired to provide music, the food and expensive champagne was all a show for their benefit. Among the guests were hired guards concealed in careful anonymity to prevent trouble, Yuri had gained as many enemies as followers. Maybe more, in his rise to power. He knew some resented him being so trusted so young, they did not trust him and there were rumors of dissent. That was one reason for this event on his 21st birthday, a show of power and a demand for loyalty in an effort to weed out those that might prove troublesome in time. 

None would be foolish enough to act on their feelings here with so many to witness. But he could discover where the problems might arise as he made his way through their guests and accepted their words of congratulations on both his birthday and his new position. 

Among the guests was a man Yuri noticed staring at him, his expression unreadable. There was something about him, the calm way he carried himself and those eyes regarding him as if in wordless challenge. For some reason this man's mere existence seemed to bother him and it was beyond irritating. That rising irritation was the reason Yuri did something he rarely did in such situations, though when alone with those that shared this house on a daily basis it was a common occurrence. 

Losing his composure wasn't something he liked feeling forced to do. His temper was one of his weaknesses. His cold green eyes met the man's stoic gaze as he made his way toward him,stopping a short distance away. Still the man did not move or speak. 

"Hey, why are you staring at me asshole?" Yuri demanded an answer. 

The man simply turned and walked away leaving Yuri speechless, and those around him confused. For a moment he considered storming after him and demanding a reply but decided his efforts would be wasted. He would remember that man's face and ask around. There was something about him that demanded Yuri's attention, something he could not ignore. 

 

Otabek wasn't surprised that Yuri Plisetsky didn't remember him. There was no reason he should be remembered. After all he had only spent a little over a year training with the younger man some years ago, before he made a decision to leave that life behind. Leaving as a child was far easier then after you'd grown and taken the oaths required by those joining any such mafia family. Even then Otabek knew the younger man was meant for greater things, he had the sharp focused eyes of a soldier then and now. Having someone younger than himself be so far ahead in all their training had been a wake up call leading to his joining a mercenary group in his homeland of Khazahtstan. 

With them he had grown, becoming a skilled fighter in many combat arts, taking on many missions. His last few proving his worth on solo missions. Through all these years he had never truly forgotten that determined, blonde haired, green eyed boy. Why, he would probably never know. 

Odd that his chosen path had brought him here, back to Russia, the organization he'd wanted so much to join as a naive wide-eyed boy and the source of a very secret admiration that some would say bordered on obsession. He knew what Yuri Plisetsky was capable of, he'd heard all the stories long before his briefing. Perhaps a small part of him knew it would end up this way eventually. 

Nothing could ever make this any easier. No matter how much he told himself this was a job, an extremely well paying one that would gain him prestige as well as money. 

Otabek wasn't normally a drinker but he grabbed a flute of champagne off a passing waiters tray and downed it quickly before replacing it. He would focus on what he knew of the present Yuri, not the one left far behind in a distant past. It could only help, remembering why he took this job in the first place. There had to be a way to stop the unstoppable, ever evolving monster Yuri had become. 

If not him, others would come in turn. Yuri had a lot of enemies and an air of invincibility about him. If there was a way to bring him down, it would take time to discover it. Otabek wasn't sure how much time he would have since he was certain he was being watched. Actually he'd been watched ever since he left as a child, returning to his family. They had been happy to have him back, relieved that he refused the offered entry into their clan. Too bad their happiness only lasted until he was old enough to set out on his own six years ago. He hadn't seen them since.

As for being watched. He had proof of that. 

It wasn't like she came here intending on going unnoticed as she sometimes did. For reasons he couldn't possibly understand she came here wearing a long, deep red dress with black embroidery. Everything from her braided light brown hair, the dress that clung to her figure until it flowed out beyond the waist was meant to be noticed. 

Of course it would be her they sent. The only other person he knew here. The only one he'd known for almost as long as he'd been made aware of Yuri Plisetsky. Many of the other guests were already drawn to her. She was obviously seeking information. To most she appeared to be a cute,quiet young woman of slightly below average height and above average intelligence, someone you could talk to and trust.

Otabek had trained with her before formally joining the mercenary group he currently belonged to. He had heard she joined the American mafia family shaken by Celestino's death. A death tied to Plisetsky and one reason Otabek was here. 

He knew better. She was a lot more dangerous than she looked.

He walked right up to her, grabbing onto her arm and pulling her away from the people around her.

"Come with me, we need to talk." he told her

He was a bit surprised that she went along willingly. 

Arriving at a ore private location he set her arm free. "What the hell are you doing here?" 

His anger didn't bother her in the slightest. Her voice was as soft,quiet and calm as always.

"You shouldn't be surprised that I'm here. If you are here then of course I will be as well, isn't that how things generally end up these days?" she said "One day we should work together, that way it would guarantee a successful mission for both of us. "

"That will never happen." Otabek assured her. At least as a mercenary he could hold onto some sense of control over his life and the jobs he took. 

"To be honest I didn't expect you would take a job that brought you here, its a dangerous place for you to be. The intended target is also very surprising, I actually doubted what I was told."

"Things change, " he said

She nodded knowingly. "Maybe it's best not to get to know the people you admire, shatters the illusion, doesn't it?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about. This is just a job, and I will not allow you to interfere. " he couldn't, not this time. This time he had to succeed. 

She met his cold gaze without flinching, they'd played this game so many times before she found herself almost looking forward to it. Even if she did have her doubts that Altin could pull this one off without problems. Something had happened to make it possible for him to consider what she knew he'd been paid to do. Wondering about this intrigued her. This seemed like the last job he would ever take willingly and why had nothing to do with the real challenge Yuri posed. 

"What I am here for depends on what your actions are. My boss hasn't made a final decision on how we're going to be dealing with Yakov's successor. If you're here then someone has already made their decision, I might have to kill you." 

It was a fair warning, the only one she'd likely give him. This place was designated neutral territory, there was nothing either of them could do but gather information tonight. To her it was odd that he'd even confronted her here. It wasn't something he usually did when their paths crossed before. She fond it troubling, thinking that maybe he should have refused this particular job. But he wouldn't listen to her. He never did.

"You can try." he said in reply

She had to chuckle at his words. "I still believe you're out of your league here, Altin, I know you and you're not one to act without emotional involvement. If you could shut yourself completely off you'd be on my side, working with us and not one your own. Despite that you take jobs simply for the money and end up doing things you regret later. Do you even know who is paying you and what they want from this? What do you expect to get from this anyway?"

"Regret is fine, it means I'm still human. "

"Touche then. Years of training and conditioning got me to where I am today. Getting too involved you could end up like Yakov's last successor. This could get messy for you. " she said "I am going to get some air, these parties are things I wish I could avoid. I'll see you around."

Watching her as she headed for the balcony he noticed someone else watching her. The man was one of Yakov's aids and advisers, Georgi Popovitch by name if his information was at all reliable. The one Otabek would have thought Yakov would name as his successor given that he was much older than Plisetsky and by appearances more controlled and calm. Perhaps this man lacked the necessary ambition. Some people were not suited to be leaders. Otabek knew that look , knew what must be going through the man's mind as he weighed whether or not to follow after her. 

He felt sorry for that man. He doubted anyone could break through her protective walls and reach who she truly was. He doubted even she remembered her true self anymore. Seeing what had become of Kimri made him more confident in his decision to leave the family and become a mercenary. He didn't want to become like that, to go through whatever was necessary to become like that. 

He had his own problems now. 

He couldn't hide the truth from her. 

This was not going to be an easy job to complete.


	2. The  Lady  in Red

For the beginning of March on a St Petersburg night it wasn't as cold as she expected. A fortunate circumstance since she needed to get away from all the people talking in several different languages, along with the music and find a away to clear her head. She had never enjoyed these gatherings, though they were often a part of her job. Small talk was not one of her strong points, she usually got necessary information by her usual sources. Simply watching potential targets provided whatever else she might need. 

She didn't like anything about this particular job, not when it had been given to her and even less now. True, she had been told Otabek Altin accepted the contract against Yuri but her inner senses denied that possibility. It did not make sense and she needed to think. 

There wasn't anyone else out here, another advantage. Kimri took her phone from her purse, found a number and sent a quick text. It shouldn't be too long before receiving a reply, despite the time difference she knew the one she'd sent the message to would be available. She was the only one who used this number and it had only one purpose. The situation demanded answers and there was a thin window of time she had to work with. 

Standing at the balcony's edge her gaze went far beyond the various expensive cars parked behind this mansion, the well kept garden or even the sea with the stars and moon reflected on its dark surface. The breeze spoke of the current season, chilly air bringing with it the scent of salt air and memories of places left behind long ago. She shuddered despite herself, her dress being no real protection from the cold even with its sleeves. 

A part of her envied the woman who could so easily wear those strapless dresses, they were obviously not in her line of work. If he did not respond soon she'd be forced to go back to the party and delay her plans. 

Just as she considered that option her phone chimed , breaking her out of her thoughts, she moved to grab her purse taking her phone back out and read the text. Reflexively she glanced back at the double doors leading back inside. 

\---Glad to hear from you, Kimri, what do you need us to find out for you now?--- Leo de la Iglesia and his partner Guang Hong Ji were the absolute best informants money could buy. There was no other source she would ever use. 

\----You know the job I'm on , its Altin like you told me.--- she typed him in response. 

\---of course, our sources are the best. What do you need to know?---- came Leo's reply

\---I don't understand why he would take this contract and who would be able to convince him to do this. It doesn't make any sense.--- -- she texted him

\---From what we know of Altin, no it doesn't. But things change Kimri. ----- Leo replied quickly,

\---Can you find out? You and Guang Hong are the best at this kind of thing, there isn't a lot of time I know , but I think it may be important --- Kimri was being honest

She'd learned that it was best to trust her first instincts on something . Rarely had her first impressions been wrong and doubting caused unnecessary problems. 

In the few years she'd been doing these sort of jobs for the family Leo and Guang Hong had become her best source of information. They were fast and absolutely never provided anything false or misleading. It was why she'd contacted him in the first place after discovering Otabek Altin was indeed the killer sent after Yuri Plisetsky, a fact that bothered her more than it probably should. Along the way during her own missions she'd learned a lot about that Kazakh man, much of that due to her informants. What she knew did not match up with what he was doing. She wanted to know who had put out this contract and why. 

She had to know. 

\---This won't be cheap. You're not giving us much time to work with.--- Leo told her

\--- The two of you are never cheap but you are my best source----- she relied on them, they knew that fact. There wasn't anyone else she trusted more to work quickly and discretely. 

\---We'll be in touch soon then, it's always a pleasure doing business with you. Be careful, we don't want to lose our best customer. --- Leo texted back

\----You two just like a challenge and what we pay you. --- it was the truth and she heard Leo laughing at her declaration. 

With that the conversation ended and she returned her phone to the small black bag hung over her shoulder. She couldn't say exactly why any of this bothered her enough to want to know the answers. None of it really should matter to her. Only because of her prior experiences in dealing with Altin had she been sent here to observe and most likely prevent him from fulfilling his contract. Nothing else should matter. Both of them were merely doing their assigned jobs,playing their usual roles. 

Maybe if she didn't know him so well it wouldn't matter. 

Something told her this was going to be a challenging mission, and she preferred a challenge. The easier jobs were often boring. 

In truth Kimri had no idea exactly what she was in for. Not even when she returned her gaze to what lay beyond the mansion, too lost in her thoughts to notice the doors opening behind her. Something she definitely should have noticed long before she heard the voice. 

 

 

Even in the deepest,darkest times when it would seem love had abandoned him completely, that once again his trust had been betrayed Georgi knew it would appear as it always did. If one did not struggle through times of pain and sadness how could you fully appreciate times of joy and pleasure. You needed practice in order to become truly skilled. He attended Yuri's birthday celebration partly out of obligation and partly with the certain knowledge that tonight it would come to him again. Love always found him. So it would be this night, somewhere among all the women here , one would approach him. 

Oddly enough, that was not how this night's events played out. 

She commanded his attention from the moment he saw her among the other guests, talking, laughing and dancing. It was intentional and practiced, from the elegant red dress with its black pattern that she was not quite comfortable in, to her carefully braided hair and light, easygoing attitude toward the others. If nothing else, Georgi prided himself on being an excellent judge of a person. What others missed was evident to him. Yakov praised him for his ability. He knew she was simply playing a part,he'd seen it before in such gatherings. 

Yet something drew him toward her. He wondered if only he could see the air of isolation and sadness, it reflected in those blue eyes that one time he caught her gaze. When he noticed her slipping away from the party, walking out onto the balcony there was no other choice but to follow. Usually they would come to him so this was something new. Certainly both Yuri and Mila would call him foolish and naive, chasing after something he constantly failed at holding for long but nothing can be gained without risk. 

Mila called him a hopeless romantic. 

Romantic, yes. Hopeless, certainly not.

This is how he saw things as he opened the doors and stepped outside into the chilly, starlit night and approached the young woman who appeared small,lost and nearly childlike standing there looking out into the distance. 

"Is there a reason why such a beautiful princess finds herself alone and out here in the cold ?" He said,breaking the silence.

Her smile was brief, lighting her eyes when she turned to regard him for a moment before shaking her head slowly and returning her gaze beyond the balcony. 

"Does that usually work?" she asked, sounding more than a little doubtful about him.

"Usually, yes." 

"Maybe you need to practice more?" she offered,completely unconvinced. 

"My efforts have not gone to waste, I was rewarded something I think might be rare."

She returned her gaze to him, frowning , eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?" 

"Your smile." he said 

Once more it appeared and was gone in an instant as if this was something she shouldn't be doing. He decided then that he would enjoy any chance he could find to change that. He wanted to find ways to make it happen again. He was a firm believer in fate, in destiny, and that one day he would find his true love. After all he'd found love many times before. It seemed to find him, and though he hadn't yet succeeded and found himself continually misled he still could not give up. What those around him called a failing, he insisted the failures only made him stronger. 

"You have to be Popovich,.." she paused for a moment, thinking. "Georgi, ?"

He straightened his tall frame proudly. "So you know me?"

"You have a reputation." she said

"Really?" 

"That's not always a good thing." she returned , then falling back into her role "I'm Kimri Linnell I belong to the family formerly lead by Celestino, a branch of the main Fanneli family from the States."

"So, the princess is called Kimri, " he smiled , a bit disappointed that she did not offer her hand. 

"You really don't give up,do you." she shook her head slowly again, "and I am far from being a princess Mr Popovich."

"Call me Georgi, please and that will be my decision to make. "

She rolled her eyes at that, but he was making progress, he felt certain about that. Enough to encourage him to continue. 

"Do you live here, Georgi?" she asked him, doing a decent job at pronouncing his name. 

"I share this home with others, but yes, as an aid to the Pakahan I must stay close as I'm sure you understand. "

"I see, are you sure it will be okay to call you by your first name? Given your position I don't want to show any disrespect , this will be my first time meeting with your Pakhan and any mistakes I make will reflect on the Fanelli family,"

"You are meeting with Yakov? Then I doubt you are as low level associate as you might wish me to believe." he leaned back against the railing, "Don't be so concerned, it was I that insisted we throw away any formalities. Whatever your purpose is in coming here I offer you my help whenever you ask. "

Kimri regarded him in silence for a long moment, considering his words . It had been his intention to inform her that he wasn't quite so easily misdirected and that despite whatever she might be concealing from him he still wished to get to know her better. A little mystery made it a bit more interesting anyway. She was being guarded and careful with him, he understood and accepted that. They'd only just met and considering their current occupations discretion became necessary. 

Taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly in resignation she reached into her bag and took out her phone. 

"I'll do this your way for now, " her tone reflecting her irritation. "we'll exchange numbers. I don't know what you expect from me in return but you can help me."

Now he reached out as she was looking down at her phone, bridging the distance by taking her free hand in his own . It was small and warm in spite of the chilled air and he swore he felt a mild shudder pass through her. But that could just be the breeze. 

"You will not regret trusting me." he assured her,

"I can't say the same for you," she told him, not meeting his gaze. 

Smiling again, more certain now that this had been driven by fate Georgi exchanged numbers after reluctantly releasing her hand. Truthfully he hadn't thought she'd allow even that. He would remember and wait eagerly for where this might lead. 

Georgi was going to ask her to come with him back to the party where they could talk more but one of the servers stepped through the door ,setting his gaze on Kimri. 

"I'm sorry for the interruption, but Mr Feltsman requests your presence at this time Miss Linnell." the man told her. 

"Of course, " she sighed "My turn to speak with the boss, it was nice meeting you Georgi."

"Will you be staying in St Petersburg for awhile?" he asked

She shrugged her narrow shoulders. "That depends on a lot of things I can't talk about, but I'll be around for a few days at least. "

"Good, then I will contact you soon and we can meet for further discussions." he said

Before leaving with the server Kimri gave him a confused look, completely uncertain exactly what Georgi was doing. He watched them leave before looking out at the distant sea sparkling with moon and starlight. The night was beautiful and unexpected events brought new promise, arriving as always but not in the usual manner. This time he would succeed, he had never felt more sure. 

This was only the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So far my Wifi is cooperating so I am playing catch up and deciding what to continue and what will remain unposted. 
> 
>  
> 
> The next chapter Yuri decides to leave the mansion and seek out his own celebration in the city, going right where Otabek expected. What happens will place him in a perfect position to discover an opportunity to carry out his mission. But despite Kimri's insistence that Otabek is a threat, Yakov is far from being a fool.


	3. Becoming  Numb

He was there, of course he was, right where Leo insisted she would find him. The very place he'd come to on several nights since his arrival in St Petersburg. Personally, she generally avoided these places, finding them too noisy and too crowded. Her feelings were only heightened when she happened to find herself in a country where she understood only a little or none of the language spoken by a large amount of people here. She understood far too little Russian to be completely comfortable in such a situation. 

In her line of work one had to adapt, so her unease had to be pushed aside.

Kimri had no trouble finding this club, getting in or locating the man she sought perched on the level above the main floor above the crowds coddling the drink in his hands. Altin, all decked out in his casual leather, brooding and watching the crowd from his little glass table like a vulture eyeing a prospective meal. 

He'd no doubt seen her already, but she didn't really care. 

A day had passed since the party and she'd been unable to locate the newly elevated young master anywhere. Yakov, the clans Pakhan would be getting nervous by now and it had been part of her job to keep an eye on him. 

She did not like the idea of failing.

Her boss liked it even less.

Navigating the crowds she arrived at his table and sat in the seat opposite him, ordering a drink from the waiter who arrived soon after. 

"About time you found your way here." he spoke without turning to acknowledge her presence in any other manner. 

"My informants were a bit late with the information." she said "Why are you here Altin?"

"Do you have to ask?" 

She cast her gaze to the ceiling for a moment requesting patience from whoever or whatever might be listening in. He always made things so difficult. Kimri had to admit she enjoyed a challenge whenever it presented itself to her and Altin always made her missions a challenge when he was involved. 

It would be a truly unfortunate loss if she ended up having to kill him.

"Why would he come here? Risking his life so casually especially now, the Pakhan would be furious." she returned, following his gaze to the crowd below. 

He actually chuckled at her words. "Your informants are off their game on this one." he told her "I,on the other hand, am very good at my job. Look over there..."

Shit.

He was enjoying knowing more than she did far too much. 

She definitely needed to have a talk with those two. Usually Leo and Guang Hong were the best. She depended on them. 

Yet there he was, down among the crowds with a small group of people that seemed to know him very well. So he came here a lot. He wasn't even attempting to blend in. His clothes, his attitude all screaming for attention. For a moment she felt sorry for the kid, the last four years hadn't been easy and he'd been forced to become something he was completely unprepared for in a very short time span.

But empathy did little good in her line of work. Plistetsky had a target on him ever since Nikiforov found his own end, he needed to be more careful. For someone who reveled in becoming second to the Pakahn, Plisetsky wasn't acting like he valued it. 

"The Pakahn, Yakov, knows all about his indiscretions, his temper and his tendency to avoid the more boring parts of his position but he hoped his attitude would change." Altin told her "The old man is delusional. "

"So exactly how long have you been here in the city?"

"Longer than you." he told her

"And you've been watching him all this time without acting on your contract? That's not normal for you." she was more than a bit confused. 

"Nothing about this is normal." he said "You'll find that out eventually, or a little sooner."

"You hate them though, you said as much when you left Detroit and the family, you hated every one from the Pakahn down." she couldn't understand what had happened, why his words and actions were no longer the same. If he'd truly been here observing his target for a long time then Plisetsky should be long dead. Altin was never one to hesitate. 

"That hasn't changed." his tone grew harsher, colder, dark eyes focused on his prey.

She wasn't convinced. Not at all. He was definitely hiding things and that knowledge made her far too curious to simply let it go unexplored. 

Kimri watched the group surrounding Yuri Plisetsky, noticing more than she wished to see as something was passed to him. It wasn't uncommon to see such things in clubs, actually it was quite normal, but to see this young man engaging in these things was concerning. The next in line to lead Russia's most powerful mafia family should never be using anything beyond the usual copious amounts of alcohol to alter his mood. 

"He's being far too reckless, Yakov will be furious if he discovers his newest second is using drugs." she shook her head slowly, understanding why so many were reluctant to accept the Pakahn's decision and why some saw fit to rectify the error in whatever way necessary. 

She'd figured out Plisetsky had the capacity to become a monster after learning about his revenge on Celestino. Because of that,having seen the video and knowing the rumors of other things Plisetsky had done Kimri found little if any empathy for the brat. He should be more careful. In this business mistakes were never overlooked. 

"One thing I can say you're right about." Altin said "Yakov puts all his people at risk naming that unhinged creature as his heir. He'll be the end of their reign."

"You'd enjoy that wouldn't you?"

He didn't answer her, he simply kept his gaze on that blonde and his group of friends. He had an excellent eye for details, for scanning a crowd and figuring everything he needed to know in a short amount of time. His success as a mercenary was proof of his skills. It spoke of why he'd been allowed to just walk away from the mafia, they could still make use of him. 

"You have your gun?" his off handedly expressed question broke into her thoughts

She nodded. Not entirely sure why he asked. If someone else meant to off his target maybe Altin sought to protect the bounty he felt was his. Such a kill was certainly worth a lot of money but what business was it of hers? If someone did Altin's job for him it would only serve to make her job easier. 

"Do you expect me to step in and help you keep your contract from being stolen? " she found herself annoyed now. 

Of course this would happen just as her drink finally arrived. 

"It's not just about the money, if you know me you know that. " he shot the words back at her. "This is mine, "

What could he possibly be up to here? Obviously killing this Plisetsky brat meant a lot to him and she didn't want to even care why. It wasn't any of her business who killed him or why, she was here to deal with the fallout. 

Otabek Altin rose from his seat, downing the last of his drink as he did so before setting the glass down hard on the table and meeting her stare. 

"This is the last thing I wish to ever have to say but I need your help for this." 

She found herself grinning with pure happiness at his admittance. 

"I am probably going to regret this." she said as she got to her feet, abandoning her own drink.

"Something else we have in common,then" he walked away into the crowds and she followed, right hand reflexively making certain her gun remained where she put it in her jacket. 

In her opinion there simply wasn't anything better than this, the flow of adrenaline coursing through her veins creating that nervous expectation heightening senses and giving focus. Her ability to focus on the task at hand and filter out everything else had always been her finest asset in the minds of her employers. 

They could have been a formidable team. 

"Too bad..." she spoke her thoughts to no one 

Good that he wasn't listening. "You say something?" he didn't look back, intent on getting them to the stairway leading onto the main floor while keeping an eye on the target.

"Nothing at all, " she said , thinking that this little distraction might be fun. 

 

 

 

They knew him here, knew him enough to treat him just as wished, rushing him past the line of people waiting for that extremely unlikely chance that they might be noticed and allowed inside. The doors were opened for him, flooding his senses with thundering music, too bright lights of various colors and so many people and voices. He'd spent hours that day seeking the correct clothes, ones that suited his mood and his new status, completely ignoring whatever boring responsibilities Yakov left for him before leaving on his own holiday. In Yuri's mind the old man seemed to be a closet masochist in seeking his ex wife's favor, he doubted he would ever understand the complete stupidity of love. In his mind such concerns and bonds left little room to live life to its fullest. 

That is why he'd come here in defiance of what Yakov,Georgi and Mila had demanded of him. Yuri was determined to live life as he wanted, he was still young and he wouldn't waste the time he was given drowning in obligations to others. He'd worked hard to gain the position he now held and he wanted to celebrate in his own way. 

There was no way he'd become like Victor. That idiot had been a tool for Yakov and his advisers, all the inner council as well to whom Yakov was most likely a tool to be used as they wished. Yuri knew they constantly weighed their view of him against their memory of their legendary Victor Nikiforov. One day soon he would crush that memory and forge his own image in their minds. But this night he simply wanted freedom. 

What one of his friends, if he could ever call anyone such a thing, offered something to provide a bit more of an escape. A release from caring about anything for a time. It wasn't like he was new to such things, Yakov had provided extensive lectures about the recklessness of allowing something to take away your focus. He did not want to care. The conversations with people from yesterdays party echoing in his mind, always comparing him to Victor and all the stories about how gloriously perfect Victor had been. 

Yuri wanted all of it gone. All memory of that idiot erased from everyone's minds so he could finally be himself and be free of Victor's shadow. If he could lose himself in the music just for a little while, if he could make the chaos in his mind disappear , then perhaps he would find some sort of peace. 

He didn't notice the young man until he was there talking to one of his group, he didn't see the others making their way to them. His mind was refusing his demands even as he noticed the gun that suddenly appeared in one of the strangers hands or the knife in the hand of the one closest to his friend. The place was crowded and loud and everything was happening so very slowly and all at once at the same time. The gun barely appeared before he was tackled to the ground by someone and a young woman was there between him and the attackers. 

Yuri watched as if he were watching an incredibly lucid dream, both fascinated and bothered by how very real it seemed. 

With a smile she pulled the trigger and shot the young man closest to them before he could hope to react, the man's eyes widened in disbelief as he fell. Screams erupted all around them. Any other possible attackers disappeared in the resulting storm of panic. 

Blood spattered in her hair and on her clothes, her eyes bright as she watched the security guards rushing through the crowds toward her. They certainly did not look pleased. 

"Your bike's close by isn't it?" she said to Otabek, breathing hard "Get him out of here!"

Without a thought to her safety, even as security descended upon her, Otabek grabbed Yuri and forced him to rush toward the exit getting them lost in the panicking crowd. Not one to trust valet parking he was usually lucky enough to find a safe spot to stow his bike he grabbed his helmet and got one, offering the spare to Yuri who still looked lost. 

"Put this on and get on, we don't have a lot of time before they close this place off." Otabek told him sharply. 

It took a moment before Yuri moved, startled and his mind still reeling from the attack and the effects of the drug he'd taken. None of this seemed real. He put on the helmet offered and settled in behind the man he felt certain he had seen before but couldn't quite get his brain to inform him of the necessary details. 

"Are you okay?" Otabek asked him, 

Yuri blinked, green eyes regarding the man with wonder. Right now he hardly seemed the monster who had tortured and with great care murdered Celestino Cialdani four years ago. 

"You saved me?" Yuri's voice echoed the wonder in his sparkling green eyes.

Otabek Altin inwardly cursed himself, tearing his attention away and starting his motorcycle so they could get out of this mess as soon as possible. The consequences he would handle later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter -- the fallout. What happens after will bring Otabek closer than he expects to his goal. Yakov makes Kimri and Otabek separate offers and things become more difficult 
> 
>  Pakahn is the Russian mafia boss by the way.... 
> 
> I know this isn't getting views or reads but I find myself enjoying writing this story so I might keep going, and I did have it all planned out including the end. Thank you to whoever finds their way to this, reads and maybe enjoys it too.


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